


Across the Aisle

by romanticalgirl



Category: Brothers & Sisters
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 04:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/769881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arsenic and old lace</p>
            </blockquote>





	Across the Aisle

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://inlovewithnight.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://inlovewithnight.livejournal.com/)**inlovewithnight**
> 
> Originally posted 1-19-09

“What are you doing here?”

Kevin stares at Robert in complete disbelief. “Aren’t you supposed to be running for President or something?”

“I’m taking the day off.”

“Is that allowed?”

“Jason’s sick.”

“I know.” Kevin brushes past Robert, making contact and pushing him out of the way when Robert refuses to move. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Because you enjoy it when he doesn’t feel well?”

“Because he needs someone to take care of him.” Kevin keeps moving, heading toward the kitchen.

Robert shuts the door and follows him. “He has someone. Me.”

“You’re taking care of him?” Kevin raises an eyebrow and goes to the stove, pulling a pot out of the cupboard with a familiarity that makes Robert slightly uneasy. “How? Reading him Senate bills and discussing appropriations with him?”

“I made him soup.”

Kevin casts a disdainful look at the can on the counter and the congealed mess in the sink. “You call that soup?”

“It was all he had.”

“Well-” Kevin pulls a container from the grocery bag he’d brought in with him. “Now it isn’t.” Robert watches as Kevin opens the container and pours a golden liquid into the pot, the thick chicken aroma filling the kitchen as noodles, chicken and vegetables flesh out the broth.

“No fair. You have a mother.”

“I made this.” Kevin turns the burner on and gives Robert a smug smile. “So there.”

“Surprised you didn’t stick your tongue out.”

“You forget, I have brothers. I’m not that stupid.” He leaves the kitchen, headed for the bedroom. “Is he sleeping?”

“Yeah.” Robert follows behind him, watching how efficiently Kevin takes over. Jason’s room is cool, but the sweat stands out on Jason’s skin in the pale light from his bedside lamp. Robert goes into the bathroom and wets a cloth, ringing the excess water from it before bringing it back and handing it to Kevin.

Kevin sits on the side of the bed, brushing back Jason’s damp hair before wiping his face with the cloth and then resting it on his forehead. Jason makes a soft noise, furrowing his brow for a moment before relaxing back into sleep. Kevin smiles down at him, his fingers tracing Jason’s cheek and jaw before he stands up and nods toward the door. Robert follows him again, pulling the door almost closed.

“Has he had any medication?”

“I gave him some ibuprofen about an hour ago, lots of fluids whenever he wakes up.”

“Okay, good.” Kevin nods and heads back into the kitchen, seemingly surprised when Robert follows him. “You can go now.”

“I’ll stay.”

“There’s no point. I’m here now.”

“So?” Robert boosts himself up onto the counter and leans back against the cabinet. “I’m his brother.”

“I’m his boyfriend.”

“Why?”

Kevin stops stirring the soup and looks up at Robert. Something flashes in his eyes and Robert smiles at the threat of a challenge. “What do you mean, ‘Why’?”

“What is it about Jason that interests you? I mean, from what I’ve heard, he’s not your type at all. You don’t like settled guys, you haven’t ever particularly been interested in faith, you like sex…”

“You don’t think Jason likes sex?”

“Of course not. He’s my baby brother.” Robert smiles a little. “He just doesn’t seem like your type. And you certainly don’t seem like his.”

“Maybe we don’t all subscribe to the notion of ‘type’. Maybe I like Jason because he’s nice and funny and fun and smart and solid and interesting and informed and sexy. Maybe I like Jason because he’s Jason.”

“Maybe.”

“And maybe he likes me for the same kinds of reasons. Maybe I’m not who you think I am. Maybe, despite all the stories you’ve undoubtedly heard from Kitty and the rest of my family, maybe I’m nothing like you think I am.”

“I’ll admit I didn’t know you could make chicken noodle soup.”

Kevin huffs a breath that might be part laugh. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know your politics.”

“Do you? Or do you just think you do based on the fact that I’m gay and I identify as Democrat?”

“That’s an interesting way to put it.” Robert crosses his arms over his chest, his blue eyes intent on Kevin. “You don’t vote a straight party ticket?”

Kevin smirks at him before turning his attention back to the soup. “I don’t do anything ‘straight’.”

Robert laughs and shakes his head. “Touche.” After a moment, he reaches over and pulls two coffee mugs from the cabinet. “You want some?”

Kevin nods. “Sure. Just black. I’d hate for you to mistake arsenic for sugar or something.”

“I make a practice of never killing anyone – accidentally or on purpose – during a Presidential campaign.”

“Well, of course you’d say that.” Kevin continues stirring the soup. “Just black.”

Robert hops off the counter and pours two cups of coffee. “What do you say we call a truce for today? We’ll pretend we’re both grown men and discuss things in a calm, civilized manner. We’ll talk about…sports?”

“No.”

“Politics?”

“Calm and civilized?”

“Movies?”

“Nothing by Oliver Stone.”

“Okay. Movies and books and music. Completely opinionated stuff that has no basis in fact, reality or anything even resembling something where there is a right or a wrong, or in our case, a right or a left. We’ll spend time with Jason, making sure he’s all right. We’ll feed him ibuprofen and liquids and this soup, which smells delicious by the way.”

“Thank you. It’s Mom’s recipe. And there’s more. So you can have some later too if you’d like.”

“No arsenic in it?”

“I’ll even feed you from the same batch I give to Jason if that helps.”

“I suppose that would be safe. You do seem fond of him.”

Kevin smiles, something delicate in the turn of his mouth. “Yeah.”

Robert nods. “Okay. So. Truce?”

“Truce,” Kevin nods. “But if you tell anyone, I’ll disavow any knowledge of this.”

“You keep that kind of talk up, Kevin, and I think you’ve got a career ahead of you in politics.”

Kevin blanched in horror. “Hey, we called a truce. No need to be nasty.”  



End file.
